An evaluation of "preventing expulsion in preschool": A cognitive-behavioral, strengths-based teacher training to reduce early childhood exclusionary discipline.

Preschoolers are excluded from early childhood education settings at alarming rates, largely for developmentally typical emotional responses. Boys, Black children, and children with disabilities are being excluded disproportionately more than their peers. In 2018, Illinois enacted legislation to limit formal expulsion; however, children are still pushed out of programs. This study evaluated Preventing Expulsion in Preschool (PEP)-a self-paced, virtual teacher training providing content on exclusion in Illinois, social-emotional development, and strategies for self-regulation in response to a child's behavior. Predominantly female, Illinois teachers of color (N = 41) received continuing education credit for completing the training and were evaluated pre-, post-, and 3-month-post-training to assess knowledge, attitude, skill maintenance, and changes in classroom practices. Through self-report, participants positively received the training, trauma-informed attitudes improved immediately after the training and were sustained at a 3-month follow-up, perceived stress decreased, self-care uptake increased, and prosocial classroom management techniques improved at 3-month follow-up. Though expulsion risk increased following PEP, reported exclusionary discipline and expulsion practices decreased at follow-up. These results inform policymakers that a brief, online training may reduce exclusionary discipline and is a good use of teacher time.